BIGEarl
Well-known member
July 26, 2008: Isolation
Trails: Rocky Branch Trail, Stairs Col Trail, Davis Path, Stairs Spur Trail, Isolation Spur Trail, Davis Spur Trail
Summits: Mount Isolation, Mount Davis, Stairs Mountain
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), and me
The trailhead for the south end of the Rocky Branch Trail is located at the end of Jericho Road in Bartlett. Last year I hiked from the south end of the Rocky Branch Trail to Isolation. On that occasion we hiked the Rocky Branch Trail to the Isolation Trail then the Davis Path and then south to the Isolation Spur. After finishing that hike I was interested in hiking to Isolation by way of Stairs Mountain and Mount Davis from the same starting point. This plan approaches Isolation on the Davis Path from the south. I have a list of target hikes for the year and this is one. Sue and I made a plan to complete this hike as one of our long day hikes.
We were concerned with weather conditions late in the day and wanted to start early. Sue suggested a 4:00am meet time at the Exit 6 Park & Ride. Sue has a one hour drive to the meeting location. Morning people are great! Just after 4:00am we were headed north from Nashua to Jericho Road in Bartlett and the start of our hike. When we arrived in the area of Jericho Road we found that some prankster had taken the road sign for Jericho Road and we lost a few minutes actually finding the correct turn. Once we reached the trailhead it took little time to gear-up and set off for a hike on Montalban Ridge.
The two mile section of the Rocky Branch Trail that we used was made up of old logging roads, meaning generally flat road walk. There is a slight elevation gain of 300 feet while hiking to the junction with the Stairs Col Trail. There are couple pretty good stream crossings along the way that have significantly grown due to the recent rains. We both managed to cross each and stay dry. The Rocky Branch Shelter #1 is also at this location and we made a quick stop. I needed to re-do the socks on my right foot and this was our last chance at pit-stop “facilities” until we passed through again at the end of the day. With this out of the way we set off on the Stairs Col Trail for Montalban Ridge and the Davis Path.
The Stairs Col Trail is a very pleasant 1.8 mile hike to the ridge mostly through open hardwoods. The lower part of the trail is relatively flat or a mild climb. A little over a mile the trail becomes quite steep but there are stone stairs for much of the climb. In the places that do not have the stairs the footing is quite good. Toward the top there are a number of stone slabs that require caution due to the wet, mossy conditions. As the trail reaches the col between Stairs Mountain and Mount Resolution there are some interesting views of the cliffs of Stairs Mountain. Soon we reached the Davis Path and turned north.
The Davis Path is reported to be a dry place. That isn’t the case now. Probably due to the recent rains, the Davis Path has a great number of mud bogs to cross with care. Some have log bridges while others have you on your own. In a short time after leaving the Davis Path – Stairs Col trails junction we came to the spur that leads to an outlook below the summit cliffs of Stairs Mountain. We visited this outlook and were treated to the first views for the day, and they were a terrific preview of what was waiting for us at the summit. We knew the hike was a long one, were concerned with time, and didn’t stay long at this lower outlook. Soon we reached the Stairs Spur and headed for the summit. On the way out the Stairs Spur we came upon the first of several other hikers for the day. A short distance beyond the apparent high point we reached the open area on the cliffs and had the real reward available from Stairs Mountain. We were enjoying clear conditions and the view we found was amazing. We stopped long enough for some pictures and to admire the surroundings and were soon off, north on Montalban Ridge to Isolation. When we left Stairs Mountain and again reached the Davis Path I checked our performance against our hike plan and found we were in great shape, a little ahead of target. Sue was setting a great pace and I was generally able to keep up. From here to Isolation we made our way through countless mud pits on the Davis Path. From the description in the White Mountain Guide I thought this was a dry trail.
Somewhere between Stairs and Mount Davis we found ourselves following a moose. We never saw the animal but the tracks were big, fresh, and headed north. There were a few times when Mr. Moose didn’t even try the mud pits. Along this section there are also multiple very nice tent sites. By early afternoon we were at the Davis Spur. We decided to head straight to Isolation, have some lunch, and return to Davis on the hike out.
Soon we arrived at the Isolation Spur and met another couple hikers leaving the area. They hiked north on the Davis Path from the Isolation Spur junction. We made the turn and climbed to the open summit of Isolation. The haze had increased but the views were still terrific. We both got some pictures and then settled down for a quick lunch break. Since we were still ahead of plan we stayed for a while to enjoy the Isolation summit area. Soon, it was time to go. We had a long hike back out and planned to stop at Mount Davis along the way. As we hiked back to the Davis Path we met three other hikers that were arriving to Isolation. Quick greeting and we were all on our way.
The hike back to Davis was a quick one with no reverse elevation gain. Soon we were at the steep spur to the summit. Sue took the lead and led us to the open summit area. It was still hazy with broken clouds but we could see some bad weather in the distance. It looked like there was a pretty good storm over Moosilauke. Sue forgot to finish her lunch on Isolation and took a couple minutes for desert on Davis. While she was taking care of that I spent some time reviewing my hike notes to see if it would be possible to add Resolution to the day. We had hoped to also hike Resolution but set a target to leave Stairs Col – Davis Path junction no later than 6:00pm. This would allow a quick round trip hike to Resolution and enough time to hike past the steep section of the Stairs Col Trail before dark.
On the hike south from Davis we found that Mr. Moose was now headed south. We’ve got fresh southbound moose tracks that weren’t there a little earlier. The heat and humidity really started to take effect. I was going through water much faster than planned and actually ran out roughly one or two miles north of Stairs Mountain. From the start I had planned to reload with water below the ridge on Stairs Col Trail but the streams were farther down from the ridge than I remembered. We reached the junction of the Davis Path and Stairs Col Trail at approximately 6:30pm. I needed water so we headed to the stream to reload and see how things looked at that point. After making and drinking a quart of Gatorade and reloading our water supplies we decided to continue out leaving Resolution for another day.
We made our way back down the Stairs Col Trail to Rocky Branch, stopped again at the shelter, and set off for the trailhead. Again, we made both stream crossings with dry feet. As planned, we stepped into the trailhead lot at 8:30pm and called it a hike.
This particular route makes a pretty full day hike. By taking advantage of the tent sites it would be a great backpack. We planned the day well and managed the day to our plan. Even the usual shorter route to Isolation is a pretty good hike. This longer approach was a very pleasant way to visit Isolation and doing the hike with Trail Trotter makes it better.
Thanks again Sue, another great day in the mountains.
Things get crazy – soon.
Pictures to follow.
Trails: Rocky Branch Trail, Stairs Col Trail, Davis Path, Stairs Spur Trail, Isolation Spur Trail, Davis Spur Trail
Summits: Mount Isolation, Mount Davis, Stairs Mountain
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), and me
The trailhead for the south end of the Rocky Branch Trail is located at the end of Jericho Road in Bartlett. Last year I hiked from the south end of the Rocky Branch Trail to Isolation. On that occasion we hiked the Rocky Branch Trail to the Isolation Trail then the Davis Path and then south to the Isolation Spur. After finishing that hike I was interested in hiking to Isolation by way of Stairs Mountain and Mount Davis from the same starting point. This plan approaches Isolation on the Davis Path from the south. I have a list of target hikes for the year and this is one. Sue and I made a plan to complete this hike as one of our long day hikes.
We were concerned with weather conditions late in the day and wanted to start early. Sue suggested a 4:00am meet time at the Exit 6 Park & Ride. Sue has a one hour drive to the meeting location. Morning people are great! Just after 4:00am we were headed north from Nashua to Jericho Road in Bartlett and the start of our hike. When we arrived in the area of Jericho Road we found that some prankster had taken the road sign for Jericho Road and we lost a few minutes actually finding the correct turn. Once we reached the trailhead it took little time to gear-up and set off for a hike on Montalban Ridge.
The two mile section of the Rocky Branch Trail that we used was made up of old logging roads, meaning generally flat road walk. There is a slight elevation gain of 300 feet while hiking to the junction with the Stairs Col Trail. There are couple pretty good stream crossings along the way that have significantly grown due to the recent rains. We both managed to cross each and stay dry. The Rocky Branch Shelter #1 is also at this location and we made a quick stop. I needed to re-do the socks on my right foot and this was our last chance at pit-stop “facilities” until we passed through again at the end of the day. With this out of the way we set off on the Stairs Col Trail for Montalban Ridge and the Davis Path.
The Stairs Col Trail is a very pleasant 1.8 mile hike to the ridge mostly through open hardwoods. The lower part of the trail is relatively flat or a mild climb. A little over a mile the trail becomes quite steep but there are stone stairs for much of the climb. In the places that do not have the stairs the footing is quite good. Toward the top there are a number of stone slabs that require caution due to the wet, mossy conditions. As the trail reaches the col between Stairs Mountain and Mount Resolution there are some interesting views of the cliffs of Stairs Mountain. Soon we reached the Davis Path and turned north.
The Davis Path is reported to be a dry place. That isn’t the case now. Probably due to the recent rains, the Davis Path has a great number of mud bogs to cross with care. Some have log bridges while others have you on your own. In a short time after leaving the Davis Path – Stairs Col trails junction we came to the spur that leads to an outlook below the summit cliffs of Stairs Mountain. We visited this outlook and were treated to the first views for the day, and they were a terrific preview of what was waiting for us at the summit. We knew the hike was a long one, were concerned with time, and didn’t stay long at this lower outlook. Soon we reached the Stairs Spur and headed for the summit. On the way out the Stairs Spur we came upon the first of several other hikers for the day. A short distance beyond the apparent high point we reached the open area on the cliffs and had the real reward available from Stairs Mountain. We were enjoying clear conditions and the view we found was amazing. We stopped long enough for some pictures and to admire the surroundings and were soon off, north on Montalban Ridge to Isolation. When we left Stairs Mountain and again reached the Davis Path I checked our performance against our hike plan and found we were in great shape, a little ahead of target. Sue was setting a great pace and I was generally able to keep up. From here to Isolation we made our way through countless mud pits on the Davis Path. From the description in the White Mountain Guide I thought this was a dry trail.
Somewhere between Stairs and Mount Davis we found ourselves following a moose. We never saw the animal but the tracks were big, fresh, and headed north. There were a few times when Mr. Moose didn’t even try the mud pits. Along this section there are also multiple very nice tent sites. By early afternoon we were at the Davis Spur. We decided to head straight to Isolation, have some lunch, and return to Davis on the hike out.
Soon we arrived at the Isolation Spur and met another couple hikers leaving the area. They hiked north on the Davis Path from the Isolation Spur junction. We made the turn and climbed to the open summit of Isolation. The haze had increased but the views were still terrific. We both got some pictures and then settled down for a quick lunch break. Since we were still ahead of plan we stayed for a while to enjoy the Isolation summit area. Soon, it was time to go. We had a long hike back out and planned to stop at Mount Davis along the way. As we hiked back to the Davis Path we met three other hikers that were arriving to Isolation. Quick greeting and we were all on our way.
The hike back to Davis was a quick one with no reverse elevation gain. Soon we were at the steep spur to the summit. Sue took the lead and led us to the open summit area. It was still hazy with broken clouds but we could see some bad weather in the distance. It looked like there was a pretty good storm over Moosilauke. Sue forgot to finish her lunch on Isolation and took a couple minutes for desert on Davis. While she was taking care of that I spent some time reviewing my hike notes to see if it would be possible to add Resolution to the day. We had hoped to also hike Resolution but set a target to leave Stairs Col – Davis Path junction no later than 6:00pm. This would allow a quick round trip hike to Resolution and enough time to hike past the steep section of the Stairs Col Trail before dark.
On the hike south from Davis we found that Mr. Moose was now headed south. We’ve got fresh southbound moose tracks that weren’t there a little earlier. The heat and humidity really started to take effect. I was going through water much faster than planned and actually ran out roughly one or two miles north of Stairs Mountain. From the start I had planned to reload with water below the ridge on Stairs Col Trail but the streams were farther down from the ridge than I remembered. We reached the junction of the Davis Path and Stairs Col Trail at approximately 6:30pm. I needed water so we headed to the stream to reload and see how things looked at that point. After making and drinking a quart of Gatorade and reloading our water supplies we decided to continue out leaving Resolution for another day.
We made our way back down the Stairs Col Trail to Rocky Branch, stopped again at the shelter, and set off for the trailhead. Again, we made both stream crossings with dry feet. As planned, we stepped into the trailhead lot at 8:30pm and called it a hike.
This particular route makes a pretty full day hike. By taking advantage of the tent sites it would be a great backpack. We planned the day well and managed the day to our plan. Even the usual shorter route to Isolation is a pretty good hike. This longer approach was a very pleasant way to visit Isolation and doing the hike with Trail Trotter makes it better.
Thanks again Sue, another great day in the mountains.
Things get crazy – soon.
Pictures to follow.
Last edited:
